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Description

Watermark:

HM The Queen Elizabeth II.

Avers:

This widely used portrait of the Queen is adapted from a painting by Pietro Annigoni. HM standing regally with a distant, but lonely aspect. The portrait is regarded by many as one of the finest portrayals of the young Queen.

It was privately commissioned by the „Worshipful Company of Fishmongers” in 1954, but not completed until 1956. The Queen displayed in white portrait room at Buckingham Palace. The painting is now displayed in Fishmongers Hall, in London.

The engraving on banknote made from this portrait.

HM depicted in Mantle of the Order of the Garter.

One of the most distinctive pieces of the wardrobe of the Most Noble Order of the Garter - England's highest chivalric order - is the Mantle, sometimes referred to as a robe, cloak, or cape. The Mantle has been used in one form or another, with varying fabrics and colors, since the 15th century. The current version is made of dark blue velvet lined with white taffeta and is accented by a red velvet hood (also lined with white taffeta), elaborate cords for closure, and white ribbons at the shoulders. The Garter Collar, with the Great George as a pendant (not visible in the portrait), is draped over the Mantle across the shoulders. (Her Majesty’s Jewel vault)

Various legends account for the origin of the Order. The most popular legend involves the "Countess of Salisbury" (either Edward's future daughter-in-law Joan of Kent or her former mother-in-law, Catherine Montacute, Countess of Salisbury). While she was dancing at a court ball at Calais, her garter is said to have slipped from her leg. When the surrounding courtiers sniggered, the king picked it up and returned it to her, exclaiming: "Honi soit qui mal y pense," ("Shamed be the person who thinks evil of it."), the phrase that has become the motto of the Order.

A representation of a blue garter adorned with the motto of the Order of the Garter (Honi soit qui mal y pense, "Shame on he who thinks ill of it") can be seen on various items worn by members of the Order, but a far more rare sight today is the actual Garter that comes along with the rest of the insignia. The Garter is made of a blue fabric embellished with the Order's motto and closed with a buckle. The materials and design can vary (blue velvet and diamonds or blue silk and gold, for example). (Her Majesty’s Jewel vault)

On the left shoulder of Her Majesty is the Order of the Garter Star.

This star was given to The Queen (when Princess Elizabeth) by King George VI at the time of her investiture with the Order of the Garter in 1947. The star (and accompanying badge) were originally a present from the Royal Navy to the King (when Duke of York) at the time of his wedding in 1923. The Queen wore the badge and star with the Coronation Dress during her Commonwealth tour of 1953-1954.

The Queen, as Sovereign of the Order, has a fancier Mantle than the rest of the members: hers has the longest train, which requires two Pages of Honour to manage, and a Garter Star. The rest of the members wear a Mantle with a sewn on patch depicting the heraldic shield of St. George's Cross encircled by the famous blue garter which bears the Order's motto, “Honi soit qui mal y pense” ("Shame on he who thinks ill of it"). The Queen's Mantle has a bejeweled Garter Star of metal. (The Royal Tour)

She is also wearing Queen Alexandra’s Cluster Earrings. The wedding gift from the future King Edward VII to his bride, Alexandra of Denmark. Also known as Queen Alexandra's Cluster Earrings, these two button earrings have large pearls surrounded by diamonds - 10 larger stones each plus smaller filler stones to create a full diamond ring. Like the brooch, these passed to the Queen via Queen Mary. They're now worn primarily at evening functions.

Centered are two Atlantic spadefish, swimming in different directions.

The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) is a species of marine fish endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean. They are commonly found in shallow waters off the coast of the southeastern United States and in the Caribbean.

Denominations in numerals are in three corners. In words centered.

Revers:

The image of coconut palm tree and Caribbean landscape. In lower left corner are the branches of banana tree.

Right of coconut palm tree is flower Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as rose mallow, Chinese hibiscus, China rose and shoe flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to East Asia. By Bermuda guests mistakenly counted as endemic.

On the right side are the flowers Plumeria rubra.

It is a deciduous plant species belonging to the genus Plumeria. Originally native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, it has been widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical climates worldwide and is a popular garden and park plant, as well as being used in temples and cemeteries. It grows as a spreading tree to 7-8 m. (20-25 ft.) high and wide, and is flushed with fragrant flowers of shades of pink, white and yellow over the summer and autumn.

In top left corner is sea shell Lobatus gigas, commonly known as the queen conch, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family of true conches, the Strombidae. This species is one of the largest molluscs native to the tropical northwestern Atlantic, from Bermuda to Brazil, reaching up to 35.2 centimeters (13.9 in.) in shell length. L. gigas is closely related to the goliath conch, Lobatus goliath, a species endemic to Brazil, as well as the rooster conch, Lobatus gallus.

The queen conch is herbivorous and lives in seagrass beds, although its exact habitat varies by development stage. The adult animal has a very large, solid and heavy shell, with knob-like spines on the shoulder, a flared thick, outer lip and a characteristic pink-coloured aperture (opening). The flared lip is absent in younger specimens. The external anatomy of the soft parts of L. gigas is similar to that of other snails in its family; it has a long snout, two eyestalks with well-developed eyes, additional sensory tentacles, a strong foot and a corneous, sickle-shaped operculum.

The shell and soft parts of living L. gigas serve as a home to several different kinds of commensal animals, including slipper snails, porcelain crabs and cardinalfish. Its parasites include coccidians. The queen conch is hunted and eaten by several species of large predatory sea snails, and also by starfish, crustaceans and vertebrates (fish, sea turtles and humans). Its shell is sold as a souvenir and used as a decorative object. Historically, Native Americans and indigenous Caribbean peoples used parts of the shell to create various tools.

International trade in queen conch is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) agreement, in which it is listed as Strombus gigas. This species is not endangered in the Caribbean as a whole, but is commercially threatened in numerous areas, largely due to extreme overfishing.

Denomination in numeral is in left lower corner, in words in right lower corner.

Comments:

De La Rue version of the portrait. In this version, the darker shading on the side of The Queen's face below her temple has a distinct edge, highlighting her cheekbone. In addition, the braid on her cloak is drawn more simply and regularly.

Bradbury Wilkinson version of the portrait. The distinguishing features of this portrait are the even shading on side of The Queen's face, below her temple, and the distinct highlights given to the braid on the front of Her cloak, which originates from the bow on Her left shoulder.